Jesus gave the great commission to the apostles. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matt. 28:18-20). Now think about it for a moment. If Jesus commanded His apostles to teach the lost, and then commanded them to observe all things which He commanded them, then Jesus by implication has given the great commission to the disciples who were taught by the apostles. Then, they in turn taught the great commission to others whom they taught. So today, as Christians, we are to teach others the gospel and then baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In a parallel passage we read, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16).

Jesus taught His disciples, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). He also told them, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:14). And then the apostle John informs us, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3).